Interim Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) received the endorsement of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Candidate Fund on Tuesday, one day after a rival candidate in the South Carolina Senate primary runoff secured a separate anti-abortion endorsement.
The political action committee, which supports candidates advocating for anti-abortion policies, endorsed Graham Nordone in a statement calling her “cut from the same cloth” as her late brother, the former Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom she is seeking to replace. The organization’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, attended Sen. Graham’s funeral last month.
Graham Nordone faces Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in the Aug. 25 runoff election, following their first- and second-place finishes in the Aug. 11 primary. The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Candidate Fund had previously endorsed Norman on Monday.
In a campaign ad released Tuesday, Norman accused Graham Nordone of being the choice of the political establishment. “The establishment has already selected their candidate,” Norman said in the ad. “Same old playbook, same old insiders. I'm not their choice.”
Graham Nordone’s campaign rejected the characterization, with spokesperson Abby Zilch stating in a response to Fox News Digital that Norman’s claims were “a joke.” Zilch added that Graham Nordone is “a MAGA fighter” backed by former President Donald Trump, while Norman “will stand in the way.”
Norman’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest endorsement.
Background: The Special Election
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham Nordone to fill the Senate vacancy caused by Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death. The special election runoff will determine who serves the remainder of his term.
The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Candidate Fund’s endorsement of Graham Nordone cited her “passionate and deeply rooted” pro-life values, stating she is “committed to justice and mercy for unborn children and their moms.” The organization described her as believing the U.S. “must be a pro-life nation.”
Norman has previously highlighted his own conservative record, including opposition to a pay raise for troops and veterans, while Graham Nordone’s campaign pointed to her alignment with Trump as a key distinction between the candidates.
The runoff is scheduled for Aug. 25, with early voting already underway in South Carolina.